Pakistan head coach Gary Kirsten said no player needs additional motivation ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup clash versus India here on Sunday.
“I certainly see it as a massive privilege to be part of these games,” he told the press. “Cricket doesn’t get bigger than this.”
“It’s going to be a great occasion,” Kirsten said
Pakistan lost their opening fixture in the tournament by five runs in a Super Over to co-hosts USA, but Kirsten insists that his squad are no longer thinking about that defeat.
“I don’t like to harp on history too much,” he said.
“We need to make sure we play the best cricket we can now, so tomorrow we’re going to go out there and make sure we do the best that we can with our skill sets, and how we can put pressure on the opposition. That’s what we would want to do every game, that’s certainly how we would plan for every game. So it’s really up to us to get ourselves up for the game,” Kirsten said.
“It’s a big game, India-Pakistan. There’s no need for me to motivate the team any more, they’re well motivated, they’re focused for this game. We’ve to forget about the last couple of days and just move forward. That’s the only way you can deal with life,” he said.
“Results are results, they take care of themselves, but the way we arrive at a match and pitch up and give it our best shot and make sure that our skills are up to where we need to be – that’s all we can control,” Kirsten said
Kirsten has been with his players for less than two weeks, but he has been enjoying getting to know them thus far.
“I’ve been with the team for 13 days, so it’s early days for me but it’s been a real privilege to work with the Pakistan team,” he said.
He reiterated that all eyes are focused on the challenge of India – the team he coached for three years between 2008 and 2011.
“Two days ago is forgotten, we can’t take it back, it’s gone. We move on,” Kirsten added.
